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ROAD TEST
Ask the Organizer
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All tied up I have more than 60 scarves and need to access them more easily. Any ideas?
J.E.H.,via Facebook
If they’re in a drawer, even with dividers, scarves are bound to get buried (and forgotten). Vertical storage is a better plan because you can see them all at a glance. Sort by category (neck scarves, pashminas) and color, then loop them through circular-slot hangers (Clarity scarf organizer, $13, containerstore.com) or around hooks (ClosetMaid tie and belt rack, $8, amazon.com). Some of my clients like keeping their favorites front and center in a mesh over-the-door shoe bag ($20, containerstore. com). Just roll each scarf andtuck it into one of the 24 clear pockets.
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The Ellaphant in the Room
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The cold, hard truth
My freezer is always a mess! I need some suggestions for straightening it up.
J.M.,via Facebook
Lots of people treat the freezer like a big, black hole. But if you use bins to section off the space, instead of hurling items into the abyss, you’ll find everything easily. For a uniform look, corral items in clear, open containers of various sizes (Binz organizers, from $11 each, crateand barrel.com). Give each bin one category (bread, meat, leftovers) and stick to that; miscellaneous groupings can derail your organizing efforts. If the door has shelves, that’s prime space, so assign them a category you use daily, like breakfast (waffles, pancakes, frozen fruit). For upkeep, do a quick clean-out every two to three months, tossing any food that’s expired.
Pushing the envelope
I have a hard time keeping mailfrompiling up. Help!
M.T.,via Facebook
First deal with the discards off the bat. A recycling bin in the kitchen or the garage is the best solution for immediately tossing junk—flyers, donation requests, catalogs. (To cancel junk mail, go to catalogchoice.org.) For the keepers, set up a basic system using folders with
broad labels—INSURANCE, BILLS PAID—which will make it easy to file them fast. Realistically, you may not be able to get to the mail every day. Collect unopened envelopes in an office or kitchen command center in a tray or an open box (Large Accessory Tray, $18, poppin.com). Then commit to a 15-minute weekly follow-up so that the pile never gets too big. Sort at the same time every week—say, on Saturday mornings—and the sessions will become automatic and (relatively) painless.
